MEDIA RELEASE

Big Island police made 1,069 drunk driving arrests last year, a decrease of 2 percent under the 1,085 arrested in 2004, according to statistics released by the Traffic Services Section.

Of the drivers arrested for DUI last year, 110 had been involved in traffic crashes, and 111 had been under the age of 21.

The number of arrests by district were:

DUI Arrests by District

District

Weekly Total

Year to Date

Hamakua

0

8

North Hilo

0

4

South Hilo

4

259

Puna

1

162

Ka’u

0

31

Kona

9

540

South Kohala

0

54

North Kohala

0

11

Island Total

14

1,069

There were 2,384 major accidents recorded last year, compared to 2,477 during the same period in 2004, a decrease of 4 percent.

There were 36 traffic fatalities on the Big Island last year, compared to 41 for the year before, a decrease of 12 percent. There were 18 fatalities attributed to drunk driving last year, compared to 17 in 2004, an increase of 6 percent. There were 11 drug- related fatalities last year, compared to 20 in 2004, a decrease of 45 percent.

Police said the actual counts of alcohol-and drug-related fatalities may increase slightly after pending reports are completed.

The number of fatal crashes declined slightly this year–29 compared to 33 the year before-for a decrease of 12 percent.

Last year, one victim was younger than 21, compared to six in 2004-a decrease of 83 percent.